CAROLE FREEMAN

Carole Freeman is an American and Canadian contemporary artist best known for intensely rendered portraits and narratives of cultural, social, political, and personal significance. She treats the subjects of her pictures with a distinctive intimacy, whether they are celebrities, artists, newsworthy figures, family, friends, or strangers.

Freeman works from both life and varied source material like found and personal photographs, film stills, mass media images, or famous historical paintings. Her paintings, powerfully produced with gestural brushstrokes, are processed through close observation and an instinctual understanding of the time in which she lives.

Freeman currently lives and works in Toronto, Canada.


SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2018        Unsung, Jim Kempner Fine Art, New York, NY.

2016        Something About Winnipeg, Gurevich Fine Art, Winnipeg, Canada.

                 Selections 2012-2016, Walnut Contemporary, Toronto, Canada.

2011        Portraits of Facebook, Edward Day Gallery, Toronto, Canada.

                 Doing the Docs, Hyatt Regency Hotel, Toronto International Film Festival Headquarters, Toronto, Canada.

2010        If the Paparazzi Could Paint (Part II), Hyatt Regency Hotel,  International Film Festival Official Headquarters, Toronto, Canada.

                 If the Paparazzi Could Paint (Part I), Rebecca Gallery, Toronto, Canada.


GROUP EXHIBITIONS    ART FAIRS

2018         Satellite Art Show, Curatious, Miami, FL.

                  Boston International Fine Art Show, Brenda Taylor Gallery, Boston, MA.

                  Art New York, Cynthia Corbett Gallery, New York, NY.

2017         Young Masters, Cynthia Corbett Gallery, London, UK.

                  Art +, Van Der Plas Gallery, New York, NY.

2015         ArtToronto, Gurevich Fine Art, Toronto, Canada.

2014         ArtToronto, Gurevich Fine Art, Toronto, Canada.

                  Classical Values: Modern and Contemporary Drawing, Leslie Sacks Fine Art, Los Angeles, California.

                  Women's Art, Gurevich Fine Art, Winnipeg, Canada.

2013         Women's Art Now, Leslie Sacks Fine Art, Los Angeles, California.

2012         Art Takes Times Square, New York, New York.


COMMISSIONS

2018          Portrait Commission, The Glass House, New Canaan, CT.

2016-18    Three paintings for Collection Jerry Saltz (Senior Art Critic, New York Magazine) and Roberta Smith (Senior Art

                   Critic, NY Times), New York, NY.

2014          Twins Series, Private Collection, Toronto, Canada.

2012          Portrait of Leslie Sacks published in African Art from the Leslie Sacks Collection, Skira.

2010-11    Nine Drawings of Man Friday, commissioned by Blue Leaf Gallery for Lord and Lady Glentorran, Dublin, Ireland.

                   Portraits of Norman Jewison, David Mirvish, and Ucal Powell, Harold Green Theatre Company, Toronto, Canada.

                   Four Paintings of Bert, Private Collection, Toronto, Canada.

                   Portrait of Jeremy Chilnick, Commissioned by Morgan Spurlock, New York, NY.


TALKS

2018         Brown University, Visiting Artist Lecture, Providence, RI, November 7, 2018.

2012         Canadian Arts Summit, Guest Panelist, Making Art in the Age of New Media, moderated by Janet Carding,

                   Director Royal Ontario Museum, Banff Centre, Canada.

                   Portrait Painting Party, Edward Day Gallery, Toronto, Canada.


GRANTS    AWARDS    RESIDENCIES

1990         University of Toronto, Visual Art Award, Faculty of Education, Toronto, Canada.

1982         Canada Council, Project Cost Grant, Montreal, Canada.  

1980         La Cite Internationale des Arts, Four Month Residency, Paris, France.

1979         Royal College of Art, Travel Award, Italy.

1978         Canada Council, Project Cost Grant, London, England.


COLLECTIONS

Art Bank, Ottawa, Canada. Continental Oil Company, London, UK. Royal College of Art, London, UK., University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada. York University, Toronto, Canada, Thompson Dorfman Sweatman LLP, Winnipeg, Canada.

Private Collections: UK, Canada, Italy, Ireland, Australia, USA including Guy and Nora Barron Collection, Jerry Saltz and Roberta Smith Collection, Morgan Spurlock, Leslie Sacks Estate, Stefan Olsson (Stena Sphere), Brian Levitt (Chair, Montreal Museum of Fine Arts / TD Bank Financial Group), and Lord and Lady Glentoran Collection.


PRESS

The Brown Daily Herald

Visiting artist aims to show 'ray of hope' in paintings. Jango McCormick, November 12, 2018.  

New York Magazine

To Do: April 18–May 2, 2018. Jerry Saltz, April 15, 2018.

The Guardian

Unsung heroes: portraits of figures who deserve artistic recognition. Nadja Sayej, March 16, 2018.

Wall Street International

Carole Freeman, 17 Mar — 22 Apr 2018 at Jim Kempner Fine Art, New York. March 28, 2018.

Artnet News

Editors' Picks: 14 Things to See in New York This Week. Sarah Cascone,  March 12, 2018.

Editors' Picks: 14 Things to See in New York This Week. Sarah Cascone,  April 16,  2018.

Winnipeg Free Press

Painting the Faces of Winnipeg. Alison Gilmore, October 31, 2016.

Canadian Art

Must-Sees This Week: November 3 to 9, 2016. November 3, 2016.

Artoronto

Carole Freeman's Selections 2012-2016 at Walnut Contemporary. David Saric, August, 2016.

Arabella

Surprise Appearances. Gary Michael Dault, Summer Issue, 2016.

Globe and Mail

Carole Freeman Finds Her Muse on Facebook. James Adams, 2 December 2011.

Carole Freeman's Facebook Friends. December 2, 2011.

The National Post

Portraits from Pokes. 1 December 2011.

Celebrity Apprentice. 9 September 2010.

Berkshire Fine Arts

Friend Me: Portraits and Projects, Carole Freeman. 22 January 2012.

Canadian Jewish News

Getting Friended With a Paintbrush. 15 December 2011.

Akimbo Art and Tech

Carole Freeman Unplugged. James Fowler, April 10, 2012.

Otino Corsano

Global Paint Party. 5 January 2012.

ArtStars

Carole Freeman. Nadja Sayej, 2 December 2011.

The Star Blogs

Pretty As a Picture. 15 September 2011.

Radio

Friend Me at The Edward Day Gallery. Here and Now, CBC Radio, 1 December 2011.


EDUCATION

1991         Bachelor of Education, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.

1980         Master of Arts, Royal College of Art, School of Painting, London, England.

1977         Bachelor of Fine Arts Honors (Dean's Honors List), University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada.